If you’re a professional salesperson, there’s a good chance that you’re also a professional traveler or will become one in the near future.
Let’s face it, traveling can be an extremely stressful and energy draining experience. Missed flights, lost itineraries, lack of sleep, lost passports, bad weather, long lines at the border, car searches, obnoxious plane passengers sitting beside you, and countless other travel setbacks can cause massive headaches and leave you less than prepared for business.
Because of this, I’ve put together a list of tips that can help you prepare for your future travels while drastically cutting down the chances of running into problems!
For flights:
1) Check in online. It eliminates much of the “airport confusion” known to create stress with traveling.
2) Wear travel friendly clothes to speed through security. Belts, flat shoes, and small pieces of jewelry can often add an unnecessary delay.
3) Frequent as few airlines and hotels as possible to ensure you can earn the highest status with one company for future travels. ← Click To Tweet
4) Have your airline’s app downloaded to your smart phone….just in case!
5) If you are counting on a good night’s sleep and are a light sleeper – invest in a good pair of ear plugs.
6) Sit in row 13 on the plane. Believe it or not, many people don’t like that row and you are more likely to have an empty seat next to you than any other row on the plane.
7) Always travel with both a hard copy and an electronic copy of your itinerary.
8) Never fly to your meeting on the last flight before you need to be at your destination. I always travel the night before.
For driving:
1) For Canadians and Americans crossing the border, get a NEXUS pass. This will dramatically speed up your border crossings.
2) Travel with an extra cell battery. After a few hours in the car, it’s easy to lose track of your phone’s battery life. You want to be reachable to your client while traveling in case a change in logistics occur.
3) Know what’s in your car before you drive across the border.
4) Load up on audio books or educational CDs related to the particular business you are traveling for.
5) If available in your area, take the train during bad weather. Not only are you avoiding dangerous conditions and potential road closures, but you can be more productive with your work on a train!
These are just a few tips that I’ve learned on my many business travels. While I can’t fit all of my tips into a single blog post, the main thing to remember is that being prepared can eliminate many of the risks associated with traveling. Find ways to keep up and you won’t have to catch up!
What’s one tip you would provide to a traveling salesperson?
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